From Broken Strings
by heaven'sgirl
Summary: [ONESHOT] "But you were always there in my dream, Relena. You were always there at the end. You were the light among the shadows. It's the only thing that would wake me up in my nightmares."


Another one-shot. I'm really enjoying writing one-shots.

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The still and silent night was suddenly disturbed as a young man bolted up from his sleeping position – his breath coming in short gasps and his forehead glistened with perspiration as his eyes roamed alarmingly through the dim room.

_It was only a bad dream, _he thought. To reassure himself, he searched around his bed and felt a warm body cuddled comfortably next to his under the comforter.

Inhaling deeply to steady his breathing, he shook his head to wipe out the sleep and the dizzy mood he was feeling. Walking with bare feet, he strolled quietly to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water, all the while trying to erase the scenes from his dream. Unexpectedly, a pair of soft arms snaked its way on his stomach for an embrace.

"Can't sleep again?" a female voice asked. Heero put the empty glass in the sink and turned around to face the sleepy, but beautiful face of his wife. The sight of her smiling face relaxed the tense muscles in his body.

Without a word, he lifted her small form and placed her on top of the table and buried his face on her golden tresses. A frown of worry marred Relena's smiling expression as she heard Heero's unsteady breathing.

"Please… tell me about it," she said. For the three months that she and Heero were together as a married couple, her husband was constantly waking up in the middle of the night, his breathing coming in uneven rhythm and sometimes, he would scream in terror. She would always question him his problem, but he would quietly brush off her query and would say that 'it was nothing'.

It always bothered her how he would keep his problems to himself. Relena knew Heero was fighting an inner battle inside; a battle that he was struggling since his soldier years. Closing her eyes, Relena gave Heero the time to feel relaxed as she stroked his bangs with her fingers.

She listened intently as Heero's husky voice reached her ears. "They were calling me... they wanted me to go with them…"

Relena nodded her head mildly and urged him to continue. "The people I've killed… I can see them… I can hear their screams… I want them to stop. I just want them to leave me alone." Relena made a soft sob as she realized that Heero's mind was plagued with the guilt of killing thousands when he was still only fifteen years old.

"But you're okay now. You're all right," she assured him. Heero exhaled deeply and looked straightly at her with the same intensity that always made Relena felt weak and feeble. Giving him a peck on the cheek, she hopped of the table and gently tugged on his hand and led him to their room.

As they walked through the hall leading to their bedroom, Heero constantly talked to Relena, his voice echoing against the walls. "But you were always there in my dream, Relena. You were always there at the end. You were the light among the shadows. It's the only thing that would wake me up in my nightmares."

Relena smiled and opened the door while Heero kept talking. "I was trained not to have emotions… I can't feel anything… I can't feel happiness, nor pain, nor love. I was hollow.

"But it all changed when I met you. You somehow filled the empty me with your love. Sometimes I would even ask myself why I was the one that you chose to love." Pausing to gaze at Relena for a moment, he caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "You were always there by my side."

Relena closed her eyes and nodded slowly as Heero continued caressing her cheek. She already knew what he meant. He has been telling her that since they were together. It seemed that Heero appreciated recalling the feeling he felt ever since he had met her.

Lifting her up, Heero gently placed Relena on the bed and settled himself on top of her, his arms supporting his weight so that he would not hurt Relena. He stared fondly at her, his eyes burning with a passion that he only shows to his wife.

"Go back to sleep… I'll be here," Relena said and beamed at him. Closing the gap between them and pressing her lips against his, Heero savored the feeling before he felt Relena sigh contentedly and let sleep take over her tired form.

Settling himself next to her, he pulled her close as she automatically linked their hands together. Watching Relena sleep, Heero kept on talking, even if he knew his words were only heard by himself; but it always helped him appreciate the life he chose to live.

"Before I met you, I was broken. The strings of my life were wrecked. I didn't hope for a rescue because I thought that no one can ever save me. But you proved me wrong," Heero looked at the gold band on his finger, the one similar to the ring that Relena was wearing. "I was drowning, but with your strong spirit, you lifted me up… I saw the salvation I was looking for in you…"

A small smile graced his lips. "I didn't feel broken or empty anymore. You were there and I know you always will."

He closed his eyes.

"I could never ask for more."

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This fic inspired me after I watched GW: Endless Waltz lately after Heero remembered the little girl and her dog. I knew that incident stayed in Heero's mind for a long time, so it helped me create this story.

Please don't forget to review.


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